Sports like Dragon Boat for the colder months?
September 10, 2014 7:30 AM Subscribe
What sports are similar in the way they work out the human body to Dragon Boat, but can be done during the colder months/when the river is iced over? Even better would be a sport that also has the cooperative team element as Dragon Boating.
Best answer: Cross-country skiing probably uses many of the same muscles as Dragon Boat by virtue of it being a full-body activity. It's lacking the team element though (except for relays, maybe).
posted by sparklemotion at 8:19 AM on September 10, 2014
posted by sparklemotion at 8:19 AM on September 10, 2014
Best answer: Hi, former competitive canoeist here.
The off-season sport of choice for canoeist/kayakers in my experience is cross-country skiing. It does come in both individual and relay flavours. There's even one with guns, if that turns your crank. Both nordic (traditional) and skate work great. Telemark is also ok, but downhill varieties don't give as much of a workout. It's not just strength you're looking for---an aerobic component is essential.
Swimming of all types is a common cross-train too. Any endurance sport can help, but the leg-only focussed ones tend to train your body in ways you don't want. Running is probably the least helpful one to use, but again, any aerobic workout is of benefit. What ever you do for endurance, look for interval training: being able to sprint on demand is absolutely essential to competitive canoeing, including dragonboat. A nice side effect is that intervals are also a very efficient way to train endurance.
In the gym, you don't want to focus just on the upper body, it's the core twist and hip flex muscles you really need to develop. Paddling comes from the hips and back. Legs need to be strong too, that's your connection to the boat, even sitting. A targeted weight program, tuned to work your core particularly are helpful, but not enough. I can't emphasize enough how essential an aerobic component is for DB, thus the majority of training focuses on endurance sports with strength sports (like rock climbing) being secondary. For the gym aerobic machines, the rowing machine is first by a long way, followed by the elliptical, with the upright bikes for legs days. Treadmills and stair machines are less helpful.
posted by bonehead at 8:38 AM on September 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
The off-season sport of choice for canoeist/kayakers in my experience is cross-country skiing. It does come in both individual and relay flavours. There's even one with guns, if that turns your crank. Both nordic (traditional) and skate work great. Telemark is also ok, but downhill varieties don't give as much of a workout. It's not just strength you're looking for---an aerobic component is essential.
Swimming of all types is a common cross-train too. Any endurance sport can help, but the leg-only focussed ones tend to train your body in ways you don't want. Running is probably the least helpful one to use, but again, any aerobic workout is of benefit. What ever you do for endurance, look for interval training: being able to sprint on demand is absolutely essential to competitive canoeing, including dragonboat. A nice side effect is that intervals are also a very efficient way to train endurance.
In the gym, you don't want to focus just on the upper body, it's the core twist and hip flex muscles you really need to develop. Paddling comes from the hips and back. Legs need to be strong too, that's your connection to the boat, even sitting. A targeted weight program, tuned to work your core particularly are helpful, but not enough. I can't emphasize enough how essential an aerobic component is for DB, thus the majority of training focuses on endurance sports with strength sports (like rock climbing) being secondary. For the gym aerobic machines, the rowing machine is first by a long way, followed by the elliptical, with the upright bikes for legs days. Treadmills and stair machines are less helpful.
posted by bonehead at 8:38 AM on September 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Which is mostly to say: rock climbing and other primarily strength work is great, but don't neglect endurance training.
posted by bonehead at 8:46 AM on September 10, 2014
posted by bonehead at 8:46 AM on September 10, 2014
If it's working your whole body to a drum beat that appeals, maybe capoeira? My experience with groups is that you get what you put in, and if you want fun competitive cameraderie, you can get it from most groups.
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:51 AM on September 10, 2014
posted by tchemgrrl at 10:51 AM on September 10, 2014
Less sport, more cooperative; could supplement the loneliness of xc skiing:
taiko
curling.
:D
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:39 AM on September 10, 2014
taiko
curling.
:D
posted by batter_my_heart at 11:39 AM on September 10, 2014
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posted by seraph9 at 7:40 AM on September 10, 2014